Noisemaker novelty item, in the form of a sport ball, having removable integrated beverage container

ABSTRACT

A sport novelty, generally corresponding in overall shape to a sport ball, which integrates the functions of a percussive noise maker and holder for a removable beverage container, into a single and attractive sport novelty package.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to provisional patent application by the same inventors, Ser. No. 61/458,024, filed on Nov. 16, 2010.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a novelty device having multiple functions. More specifically, this invention relates to sport novelty item which comports in overall shape to the shape of a sport ball, and has both a noisemaking function, and an integrated dock, in the form of a recess or cavity, for storing a removable beverage container and/or drinking vessel.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Fans of organized team athletic events attend games and sporting events and exhibit support of their favorite teams in various ways. Many fans will carry banners or wear apparel in their chosen team colors with the team logo prominently displayed. Some of the more enthusiastic fans paint their faces and body in team colors. These fans also express themselves vocally during such events by cheering and yelling for their team and often by voicing displeasure directed to the opposing team and sometimes the officials by yelling, booing and jeering.

The display of team banners and colors, sometimes accompanied by raucous noise, is considered a part of the normal exuberance of being a sports fan and occurs at most levels of athletic activity, from Little League through high school to collegiate activities and professional athletics.

Many fans wish to express their support of their favorite team and exhibit enthusiasm using noise makers of various types. For example, noise makers may consist of air horns, megaphones, rattles and similar devices, which will emit loud sounds. The mechanism for evoking sound from such noise makers is distinct depending upon design and operation thereof. For example, a horn produces sound by the rapid movement of air or gas through the restricted or tortuous pathway in a valve-like structure. An example of sport novelty noise maker, which produces sound by means of the foregoing air movement mechanism, is disclosed in US Patent Publication 2006/0009319 (to Nelson—Published Jan. 12, 2006). The Nelson novelty noisemaker is in the form of a footfall, and use what he describes as a “whoopee cushion” type effect for producing noise from his device. More specifically, as the football is squeezed, air is force through a valve-like structure in the side wall of the football and produces a noise.

By way of contrast, rattles produce noise by rapid and repeated impact of metal or plastic beads within a confined space of a shell, by the impact of the beads upon each other and/or upon the surface of a confining shell of the noise maker. The latter type of noise making device is also referred to as a “percussion” noise maker. Examples of percussion noise makers are described in US Patent Publication 2001/0034177 A1 (to Hunn—Published Oct. 25, 2001). The Hunn noisemaker novelty is in the form of a baseball mounted on a post or shaft (a “lolly pop” or “baby rattle” like design), wherein the user of the device holds the noise maker by the handle to shake the rattle and produce the noise.

The common assignee of this application has created and patented a design for a sport novelty item in the form of a football, U.S. D608,590 (to Geter—issued Jan. 26, 2010). According to the design of the Geter “Shaker Mug”, a sport novelty item is described wherein a football-like device is depicted having an open top end and a closed bottom end. The opening on the top end appears to permit the insertion/withdrawal of a “mug” from the open end of novelty item. The Geter design does not disclose any details relative to the function or operation of the illustrated design, and is otherwise (obviously) silent as to the manner of association of the “mug” and the sport novelty, other than the fact that there is some undefined relationship.

It is clear that the sports fan needs for expression of his enthusiasm requires both some visible display of his support, and an audible expression of such support. In the past this has been accomplished by simply adapting known noise maker designs in a sport ball motif. Notwithstanding such limited and traditional efforts, there continues to exist a need for a more creative approach to sports fan novelty items, specially, one that integrates the functions of a noise maker and a removable beverage container, into a single and attractive sport novelty package.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is the above and related objects of this invention to remedy the above as well as related deficiencies in the prior art;

More specifically, it is the principle object of this invention to provide unique sport novelty, in the shape of a sport ball;

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a unique sport novelty, in the shape of a football, softball, baseball, basket ball, golf ball and/or a soccer ball;

It is yet another object of this invention to provide unique sport novelty, in the shape of a sport ball, having a grip or handle integrated into the overall shape of the sport ball;

It is still yet another object of this invention to provide a unique sport novelty in the shape of a sport ball, wherein the sport ball includes a cavity integrated into the overall shape of the sport ball for docking and retaining a beverage container and/or drinking cup or mug;

Additional objects of this invention include a sport novelty for dispensing/marketing prepackaged beverage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and related objects of this invention are achieved by providing sport novelty for sports fan demonstration of both a visible display and audible expression of sports fan support. The sport novelty of this invention comprise a sport ball having an essentially rigid shell, an interior chamber defined by said rigid shell and a cavity formed within said rigid shell for insertion and withdrawal of a vessel in the form of a beverage container or a drinking vessel, such as a mug or cup. In the preferred embodiments of this invention, the sport novelty is further provided with means for holding the sport novelty, such as a separate handle, or alternatively, a handle in the form of the stitching or seams of the sport ball. For example, in the sport novelty having the overall shape of a baseball, the handle is preferable an extension of the seams from the shell on the baseball. Where the sport novelty is in the shape of the football, the handle is preferably an extension from the shell in the form of the laces on the football.

The cavity formed within the rigid shell generally comprises a recess in which the contours of the shell which corresponds to the shape of a beverage container or drinking vessel such as a mug or a cup. Insofar as the noise maker component of the novelty item is contemplated for use separate and apart from the a beverage container or drinking, the beverage container or drinking vessel, can typically be separated/removed from the sport novelty, to permit both the independent use and enjoyment of the noise maker and beverage container/mug/cup at the same time.

In one of the preferred embodiments of this invention, the beverage container can include a beverage at the time of sale of the sport novelty of this invention; and/or be refilled with beverage between uses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A comprises a perspective view of one of the preferred novelty items of this invention in the form of a football novelty, when viewed from the front;

FIGS. 1B & 1C are perspectives view of the sport novelty when viewed from the side, and above respectively;

FIG. 2 comprises a sectional view of novelty item of FIG. 1 at section line AA;

FIG. 3 comprises a perspective view of a drinking vessel subsequent to its removal from the cavity in the sport novelty of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 comprises a perspective view of the bottom of the cavity of the novelty item of of this invention in the form of a baseball.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION INCLUDING PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred sport novelty of this invention (10), generally corresponding to the shape of a football, is depicted in FIG. 1. As depicted in the perspective view of FIG. 1A, the sport novelty comprise a football-like rigid shell (12) having football “laces” (14) molded into the shell (12), to form a handle (14). The rigid shell (12) has a flat bottom end (16) and an open top end (18). The open top end (18) is depicted as corresponding in diameter to the open end of a removable beverage container (20), in the form of a cup, to permit removal thereof from a cavity (22) within the sport novelty (10). The rigid shell further includes graphical information corresponding to a sports team logo. FIG. 1B depicts an alternative configuration of the sport novelty of FIG. 1, wherein a flip top lid (40) is provided on the top of the football-like shell, for opening and closing the top thereof to permit access to beverage container (20) in the cavity (22) within the sport novelty.

FIG. 2 depicts a sectional view of the sport novelty (10) of FIG. 1A at AA. In this sectional view, the chamber (24) is formed by the walls (26) of the shell (12), and is partially filled with metal or plastic beads (26). The size, shape and quantity of beads (26) within the chamber (24) is empirically determined to be effective to produce the maximum percussive effect upon the interior surface (28) of the shell wall (12), and noise upon shaking of the sport novelty (10). In general, the metal or plastic beads (26) can occupy anywhere from about 10% to 50% of the volume of the chamber, for optimum percussive effect (noise making).

FIG. 2 also illustrates a sectional view of the cavity (22) formed by the exterior surfaces (30) of the shell (12) for receipt and nesting of a beverage container (20), or a drinking vessel, in the form of a cup or a mug. In this FIG. 2, the cavity (22) is essentially centrally located in the sport novelty (10), and is closed on the bottom end (16) of the cavity and open on the top end (18) of the cavity. At or the near the base or bottom end of the cavity, means are provided for releasable engagement and disengagement of a beverage container or a drinking vessel.

FIG. 3 depicts the beverage container or a drinking vessel (20) suitable for nesting and/or docking in the cavity (22) of the of sport novelty of FIG. 2. The beverage container or a drinking vessel (20) includes a tapered conical body (32) having a relative wide open top end (32) and a relative narrow closed bottom end (34). The closed end (34) thereof is preferably provided with means (36) for releasably engaging the complimentary engagement means (38) within the cavity (22). The engagement means (36) can include any complimentary assembly, such as bayonet coupling common used in camera lens mounts, a simple détente molded into the sidewall of the beverage container, hook and loop fastener (Velcro), magnetic means, and the like.

In one of the preferred embodiments of this invention, the beverage container (20) is also provided with a lid (40) for the open thereof; and, alternatively, a flip top cap (42) is provided on the sport novelty (10) to close the open end of the cavity and secure the beverage container or a drinking vessel (22) within the cavity.

FIG. 4 depicts a comparable sport novelty (41) of this invention generally corresponding in shape to a baseball, comprising an essentially rigid shell (44). FIG. 4 also depicts a handle (46) on said sport novelty (41) which corresponds to the stitching (48) on the shell of the baseball. A beverage container or a drinking vessel (50) is also shown in FIG. 4, as being removed from and/or inserted into the cavity within the shell of the sport novelty. The functional attributes of this beverage container or a drinking vessel, correspond, with respect to releasable engagement and disengagement to the sport novelty cavity, to functional attributes of this beverage container or a drinking vessel depicted in FIG. 3, with respect to the engagement means located in the bottom of the cavity of the novelty of FIG. 3. 

1. A sport novelty comprising: a. an essentially rigid shell with an interior wall and exterior wall, said shell generally corresponding in overall shape to a sport ball selected from the group consisting essentially of a baseball, a basket ball, a soccer ball, a football, a golf ball and any combination thereof; b. a handle integrated with, and formed on, said shell for manually holding and shaking said sport novelty; c. an interior chamber defined by said interior wall of said rigid shell, said interior chamber being partially filled with beads, the volume of said bead within said chamber being effective to create a percussive effect upon shaking of said sport novelty; and d. a cavity defined by said exterior wall of said rigid shell and integrated within said shell, said cavity conforming in overall shape and volume to a vessel in the form of a beverage container or a drinking vessel, selected from the group consisting of a pre-packaged beverage, a mug and a cup.
 2. The sport novelty of claim 1, wherein said cavity has and open end and a closed end, said cavity have means for engaging a beverage container or a drinking vessel, selected from the group consisting of a pre-packaged beverage, a mug and a cup.
 3. The sport novelty of claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a sport ball generally corresponding in overall shape to a football.
 4. The sport novelty of claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a sport ball generally corresponding in overall shape to a baseball.
 5. The sport novelty of claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a sport ball generally corresponding in overall shape corresponding to a basket ball.
 6. The sport novelty of claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a sport ball generally corresponding in overall shape to a golf ball.
 7. The sport novelty of claim 1, wherein said shell comprises a sport ball generally corresponding in overall shape to a soccer ball. 